


Dragon Sickness

by Miss_lestrudel



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Arguing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-21
Updated: 2015-01-21
Packaged: 2018-03-08 11:05:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3206882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_lestrudel/pseuds/Miss_lestrudel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thorin is overcome with stress and Dragon Sickness and Bilbo tries to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dragon Sickness

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is first person, but this was technically my second fic ever but I never posted it so yeah. Enjoy :)

          "A gift, to my burglar." Thorin said, smiling.

          He held up a silvery vestment with a golden design on the collar.

          "It is made of mithril, an elvish metal. No blade can pierce it. You'll need it if you're going on the battlefield." He said as he slipped it on me.

          "I look rather absurd." I said, twisting and turning to look at myself.

          "You'd look even more absurd dead." Thorin chuckled and clapped me on the back.

          I didn't quite understand his grim jokes, perhaps they were a dwarven thing. However I laughed with him for the moment.

          "You don't expect me to fight do you?" I asked.

          "No." Thorin laughed again, thinking about Bilbo fighting.

          "A horse is on its way, Thorin." Gloin interrupted.

          In an instant his smile was gone. His mouth twitched into a scowl and his eyebrows scrunched in anger. He looked at me, turned, and headed to the walls.

* * *

          After Thorin's unsuccessful talk with the bowman, he sat in his throne room. Some of the dwarves tried to speak with him, but to no avail. Finally, I had gone to the throne room, finding Thorin staring at the floor.

          "I do not wish to speak." He growled, still staring intently at the floor.

          I stepped closer and he finally looked up. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

          "They want me to give up the gold." He said, his voice low, rubbing his temples. "Am I not a king without gold?"

          "You are a king when you have subjects. A king has followers, that's all a king is." I said.

          His scowl returned. "I cannot feed subjects without gold. I cannot protect subjects without gold. I cannot live without gold." He stared blankly at me.

          I opened my mouth to speak when another voice came from behind me.

          "It's almost midnight, the meal is ready." Ori stated.

          Thorin sulked away, leaving me to stare at his empty throne with a decision to make.

* * *

          I found rope and slid quietly down the walls of Erebor. I walked carefully to the city of Dale, making sure I didn't get impaled by the alert guards. After quite some time, I made it safely, finding Gandalf speaking to a man with a unibrow. Gandalf turned and his face lit up.

          "Bilbo Baggins!" He exclaimed.

          "Gandalf!" I yelled, smiling.

          We embraced.

          "I thought you'd stay cooped up in that mountain." He said.

          "That's Thorin's plan." I sighed. "Anyway, where's the elven king?"

          Gandalf lifted an eyebrow but led me to a tent that was much larger than the rest. Inside, an elf with long blond hair was lounging in an uncomfortable looking chair. Meanwhile, Bard was pacing the floor. They both looked up when Gandalf and I entered. The elven king looked me up and down quizzically.

          "Aren't you the Halfling who stole the keys from my guards?" He questioned.

          "Yes." I mumbled.

          Bard flashed me a smile.

          "I came to give you this." I stated and placed the Arkenstone on the table.

          Thranduil jumped up. "The heart of the mountain."

          "How is this yours to give?" Bard asked.

          "I took it as my 14th share." I said.

          Gandalf smiled.

          "You owe us no loyalty." Bard stated.

          "No I don't. However, I know how dwarves are. They're stubborn, pig-headed, stupid-" I took a deep breath. "But they're also loyal, kind, brave, and the best men I've come to know."

          Bard nodded as Thranduil was looking the stone over.

          "I believe you could make a bargain."

          "A bargain? With that rock-headed dwarf?" Bard exclaimed.

          "He's gone crazy over this stone. I think he'll give in if you have the stone."

          Thranduil and Bard looked at each other, seemingly having a conversation with their eyes.

* * *

          After it was said and done, I returned to Erebor just before the sun came up. Balin was on guard duty and was tearing up when I walked up behind him. 

          "Dragon sickness." He said, voice cracking. "I've seen it before. Drove his grandfather insane. I fear for him Bilbo, he hasn't slept."

          We sat in silence, watching the sun rise. Once the sun was fully up, I clapped him on the back and went to wake the others. I attempted to rub the sleepiness from my eyes.

          "You should be asleep, Baggins." Kili said, rubbing his eyes.

          "Yeah, have you slept at all?" Fili added, pulling on a shirt.

          "No I don't think I have." I answered with a yawn.

          "Take my bed, we'll wake you when the party starts." Fili smiled.

          I returned the smile and nodded in thanks. I crawled into his bed, passing out in an instant.

* * *

          Not even two hours into my sleep, Fili was above me, shaking me.

          "Thranduil and Bard are here. I don't think you'll want to miss it." He stated, walking off.

          I rubbed my eyes and raced to the walls. The dwarves were gathered around the edge, Thorin held a bow and arrow. At the bottom, stood Thranduil on his elk and Bard on a white horse.

          "We are accepting your payment." Thranduil said.

          "And what payment is that?" Thorin questioned, an arrow locked on the elven king.

          Bard reached into his cloak and pulled out a glistening stone. Thorin dropped the bow.

          "How did you get that?" He asked.

          "You can have it back." Bard said. "For our payments."

          Thorin sat pondering, until a raven perched beside him.

          "It's a fake!" He yelled. " The Arkenstone is safe within these mountains, in its home!"

          "No, no it's real." I stammered, appearing from behind Dwalin and Dori.

          Thorin turned to the voice, and when he found that it was me, he frowned in betrayal.

          "Bilbo." He breathed out.

          "You're not the same dwarf I first met." I said. "You need to give up this war."

          Thorin took deep breaths until his face became that of pure rage.

          "Throw him from the walls!" He roared.

          None of the dwarves moved a muscle.

          "I'll do it myself." He growled and grabbed me from the collar.

          He threw me against the wall's edge, prepared to let me fall. The other dwarves surged forward, trying to help me.

          "Do not harm my burglar!" Gandalf yelled. "Return him safely!"

          Thorin bared his teeth and stared at me with a fire in his eyes.

          "Thorin, please don't do this." I struggled.

          He sat for a moment, tightening his grip, and then flung me into Bofur's arms.

          "I will have war!" He shouted, and stormed off.

          The dwarves, elves, and people of Laketown dispersed, leaving me alone on the floor. After thinking for a long time, I headed to the throne room.

* * *

          In the throne room, Thorin was pacing, flipping a coin in his hand. He continued even as I walked in.

          "Thorin." I whispered.

          He stopped moving and looked to the floor. He sighed, seeming to try to keep his temper.

          "What is it,  _Baggins?_ " He hissed out the final word.

          "I thought you would've taken it. I thought it could have been over." I said stepping closer.

          He turned quickly, walking towards me. "By betraying me? By going to help  _them?_ When have  _they_ helped  _you?_ Wars don't end because of betrayals, Master Baggins, they continue." He growled.

          I took a deep breath. "You're going mad, Thorin."

          It was then he smiled, a sinister smile, and threw his head back in laughter.

          " _Mad?_ Oh Bilbo,  _you_ have gone mad.  _I_ am trying to keep  _my_ kingdom together. I'm trying to keep it safe."

          "By starting a war and potentially killing your kin? It seems you're doing a fantastic job of keeping that gold safe." 

          He threw the coin at the wall behind me and clenched his fists. "This gold can keep me well for years. This gold belonged to my father and his father before him. This gold is  _mine_ it is  _my_ birthright. What right do you have to take my stone, to take my hospitality when you are the traitor?"

          I sat there, considering my next word as he moved to another room. I followed him into a large hall. At the end of it was a massive dwarven statue surrounded by columns of stone. My feet were cold upon the golden floor. He stopped midway and stared at the statue for a while.

          "Dwalin spoke to me before you." He began. " Spoke to me like I was a murderer."

          _Truthfully you are; for starting this war._ I thought, but dared not say a word. He took off his crown.

          "I'm trying to keep everything from falling apart." He whispered.

          "Then pay them the gold." I said.

          He turned on his heel. "Will that make me any more a king? Do I need to prove to them how worthy I am by paying them for their petty lives?"  

          At this, I was taken aback. "Petty lives?" My voice raised. "Where is the Thorin who wanted to save everyone? Who wanted life back to normal? The Thorin I met at my hobbit hole the night you dwarves stormed my house?"

          "Life will never be back to normal, Bilbo!" Thorin yelled. "My ancestors knew that! From the moment that acursed dragon took this mountain, to the moment they all died! They knew it was all about the gold, Bilbo. No one could pass up the opportunity to get their hands on Thror's gold."

          Tears began to form at the corner of his eyes and he turned away so I couldn't see.

          "Balin says it's dragon sickness." I whispered, coming up from behind him. "I think perhaps Thror went mad over his own gold. Balin and I think it's happening to you."

          Thorin turned towards me. He looked at his crown, a tear rolling down his face.

          "You know, in Hobbiton, it is more about the hobbit than their possessions. And I believe you are a great man, Thorin."

          He flung his crown across the room. He sat, watching it skid across the floor. In a swift movement, he grabbed my face and pulled me in for a needy kiss. His beard scratched my barren face and his cheeks were still wet from the few tears he let out. After a moment, he pulled away.

          "How can I be a great king, a great man, if I cannot see my own greed." He said.

          My eyes were still wide from the shock of the kiss. However, I managed to stammer out an answer.

          "E-everyone needs help fr-rom time to time. Even kings."

          He embraced me then clapped me on the back.

          "I feared this time would come." He said as he walked into the direction of the main hall, where the other dwarves sat sharpening their weapons.

          

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
